


With Ribbons in Her Hair

by MC (SevenDeadStories)



Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-14
Updated: 2014-07-25
Packaged: 2017-12-29 09:20:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1003698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenDeadStories/pseuds/MC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Shibuya Kazuya leaves Japan for England upon finding his brother's body, Mai leaves for Italy to study under the famous psychic Walter Parro. As promised, Naru returns to the Japan office almost a year later, but did not know Mai had left. Mai cuts all ties with almost everyone from the SPR office in Japan, until one day Ayako recieves a frightening phone call from the old assistant, requesting they all travel to Italy to investigate a death - Mai's death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Magazines Are, In Fact, A Horrible Idea

**Author's Note:**

> Hello reader! This is going to be an interesting one, and is mostly just an AU I haven't been able to get out of my head. It is going to be weird, inserting two original characters as Mai's new best buddies, and it will be difficult on my part for me to not diverge any of the real characters from their personalities. If I'm off, please tell me!  
> A great majority of how she arrived in Italy in the first place will be told through flashbacks and dialogue, so if you're a tad bit confused at first just role with it. That being said, if I mess up too bad, please point it out.  
> I hope you have as much fun (and anguish!) reading this as I have had writing it.
> 
> Another note- this is really more of a prologue/introduction to the work, and the following chapters will be much longer.

A year and a half later, Naru saw it.

                Lin probably left it on top of the pile of mail intentionally. Lin knew that Noll never read his father’s magazine if he could help it, and would hardly glance at the cover before tossing it out. On this dreary February day it would have been no different had it not been placed where Naru conveniently saw it.

                The young boss’s fingers skimmed over the smooth cover page. SPR had been scrawled neatly by a machine on the top of the laminated magazine, and underneath read bold words: “The Ghosthunting Twins”.

                To those who did not know Mai, the picture on the cover would have appeared staged. She stood, her stance open and ready, face flushed with excitement, nervousness, power. The picture perfectly captured Mai’s essence when on a case. Her mouth was slightly open, staring at something past the camera, and her tense arms suggested she was preparing to do the nine cuts.

                Behind her, Hunter Parro mirrored her, facing a different way. Her face seemed more stoic and cold, but her unusually large brown eyes showed a display of emotions ranging from exhilaration to fear. Below the article title read the words “The Twins of Italy- Saving Lives” and Naru could not restrain. He opened the magazine, feeling the crisp pages fall directly to the article, as if it knew his sole interest.

                Inside, a picture of the two women seated on an ivory couch greeted him. Glancing up at the sole picture on his desk, Noll realized that he once sat exactly where Hunter Parro did in the picture. A twinge of annoyance and a sharp pang of jealousy jolted Noll. The author of the article was none other than Luella Davis.

 

Mai sat nervously on the couch next to Hunter. Across from the two sat Luella Davis, Naru’s adopted mother. She held her head high, not a hair out of place. Mrs. Davis looked more like a queen, sitting in an ivory chair with light gold stitch work, than she did a paranormal investigator. Mai had learned, upon entering SPR almost four years prior, that this was certainly a profession that called to a variety of people.

                “Ms. Taniyama, it is a pleasure to meet you again.” Luella spoke softly in English, sitting down across from the girls. “And Ms. Parro, we have not spoken in a while.”

                Hunter bowed her head. “It has been long, I have not had occasion to go home.” She said evenly, brown hair perfectly in place. How she did so, day after day, confused Mai to no end. Even after being locked in a basement for three days, Hunter emerged equally as beautiful. Mai managed to look like a train wreck twelve minutes after leaving her house.

                The graceful Luella’s eyes met Mai’s after a soft laugh. “Ms. Taniyama, I have heard great things about you. Walter Parro speaks highly of you, and my son has mentioned your name on multiple occasions. I am sorry that we did not speak more when we met in Japan.”

                Mai laughed, though there was a hint of slight pain in her voice. Luella most likely did not hear it; Mai doubted that her son would have shared anything of his personal relationship with Mai. It had been a long time since she left SPR, and she did not often think of her old boss.

                Besides, her new boss demanded a lot more of her attention. Walter Parro, the famous Italian paranormal researcher, may have loved Mai almost as much as his daughter, but he worked them both hard.

                The interview began, and Hunter did most of the responding, since it was mostly done in English. Mai could understand almost everything; however, she had difficulty responding. Mrs. Davis asked questions mostly about what it was like being so successful so young, and having a demanding job. Hunter explained for Mai that it was no different from her work in Japan, and she enjoyed the work. Hunter, on the other hand, did not have the same history with it.

                “Adjusting has been a little hard,” the Italian woman admitted, smiling sheepishly. “I used to be much quieter, before meeting Mai.” Hunter explained to the interviewer. “At first, I only spoke to correct her poor Italian.” Mrs. Davis laughed freely at that, and Hunter’s grin grew wider. Mai merely punched her friend’s arm lightly.

                The three women went on to talk about the individual psychic powers the two had, though they only spoke on it briefly. Despite the fact that only the most important psychic researchers read the magazine, neither felt comfortable speaking at length about how their powers worked. Then it changed to the type of investigations they went on.

                “Is there one you are working on currently?” Luella asked, and Mai nodded.

                Hunter spoke, however. “We are just starting one in Italy; in a small country villa. I’m afraid we can share no more on the topic; however, we suspect it will be one of our most difficult so far.”

 

The bell to the front door rang, and Naru closed the magazine as if he were afraid of being caught reading it. Lin’s deep voice greeted the newcomers in flawless Japanese, and bid them to sit. Straightening up, Oliver stood and prepared himself to enter the main office. He mentally reminded himself to have a firm word with Lin about canceling the subscription to SPR magazine, or merely handing off the magazine to Monk.


	2. Alexander Graham Bell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha, ha, when I uploaded the first chapter I remember thinking to myself "Okay! Have the next chapter up in one week or less!" and here we are, a month and a half later, with chapter two. I am terribly sorry, my theatre show went to regionals and state all during a very messy breakup! I'm super sorry about the lateness. I cannot say I will be good about future chapters but I will make an honest effort.   
> As always, if something does not make sense or you think I'm being ridiculous, please tell me! Thanks~

The front bell rang, and the voices of Naru’s employees filled the once silent building. The usual bickering between Monk and Ayako was the first thing he picked up on, followed by John’s laugh. Lin called through the office door for Naru, though he already heard the others enter.

                Upon entering the main building, he saw that there was a fourth, silent guest in her traditional kimono. Masako, attempting to cover her laugh at Monk’s teasing, made eye contact with Naru and smiled.

                “--that doesn’t mean that you know everything!” Ayako screeched at Monk, her purse flying towards him. It hit him square on the shoulder, and he yelled something about his playing arm being too important for women to hit.

                “Monk!” Naru shouted, and the two quit bickering. “Sit down, all of you,” he commanded, and they moved to the two couches in the center of the room. Lin stayed at his desk in the corner, typing away. “Yesterday, a man by the name of--”

                The phone ringing interrupted Naru speaking. A furious look crossed his face as Ayako fumbled with the buzzing phone in her lap. “Put your phone away--” Naru commanded, and Ayako almost listened, except she noticed the caller ID and ignored her boss. His expression became more threatening as he watched her move the phone to her ear. “Mai!” the doctor exclaimed cheerily, elation rising through her. “Hey! Long time no speak! What’s up?” she asked, as Monk shouted something in the background about missing her. He lunged for the phone from Ayako, but she anticipated it and moved out of the way.

                The young woman on the other side of the line spoke urgently. “Ayako, listen quickly,” she instructed her. The older woman immediately felt her face drop at hearing the panic in Mai’s firm voice. Ayako had never heard Mai speak in such a serious tone, and the thought of the reason behind the phone call chilled her to the bone. “This is very important. Do not interrupt. Do you know Hunter Parro?” Mai asked.

                “Yes,” Ayako answered breathlessly, her voice dry and low. “Your partner.”

                “Good,” she replied immediately on the other end, obviously hearing the near silent answer. “We are on a case, and I need you and the team to come out. The plane takes off in an hour.” In the corner, the fax machine began to run. Ayako saw Lin move to look at it out of the corner of her eye.

                Mai continued on. “In about eight minutes, you will receive a phone call informing you that I died in a fire.” The air left Ayako’s lungs, silently mouthing the word ‘what’.  “I will not die, and you have six days to save me.” She informed, speaking so rapidly that it took Ayako a moment before she could respond.

                “Wait, Mai!” Ayako shouted into the phone, but Mai only ended in her usual chipper voice.

                “See you soon!”

                And the line cut off.

                Ayako let her hand fall from her ear, unintentionally dropping the phone on the ground. “Ayako, what happened?” Naru asked harshly, anger evident in his voice. Even the mere mention of Mai’s name sent him into an angered silence, for reasons the rest of the group could only guess at. The rest of the group merely stared at Ayako, waiting for an explanation.

                “You will…” Ayako began to stammer out, fear and worry closing around her throat. “You will get a phone call in a moment explaining that Mai died in a fire.” She explain quietly, and Masako gasped. “What do you mean?” Lin snapped, and Ayako shrugged.

                “She said that it wasn’t true, and we need to find her.” Sitting back down in her spot on the sofa, Ayako placed her head in her hands.  “And we have six days,” she mumbled through her hands.

                Silence permeated the room. Monk stared at the shrine maiden in disbelief; across the table Masako held her delicate kimono in front of her nose and mouth. In the corner, Lin tightly gripped the airplane tickets that had come through the machine. Everyone, including Masako, had a ticket. His eyes scanned the parchment over and over.

                _Flight 264.Tokyo International to Rome. Seat 2A. Shibuya Kazuya._

_Flight 264.Tokyo International to Rome. Seat 2B. Koujo Lin._

                _Flight 264.Tokyo International to Rome. Seat 2C. Houshou Takigawa._

                On and on Lin memorized, unwilling to turn and look his companions in the face. He was unsure of how the others felt. Lin knew a few particulars of the case Mai was working on; the two emailed or texted each other every day. He did not fear for her safety just yet, the fire had most likely already taken place. Plus, the world-renown Walter Parro and his daughter were there with Mai, and Lin trusted the two.

                Lin would not have allowed her to work with them had they been untrustworthy, it had been Lin that introduced Mai to the Italian man. He ensured that Mai would be studying under him in Italy, even flying from England back to Japan to help Mai and tell her the news.

                _“You are guaranteed a spot in this college in Italy. Parro was immensely interested in your abilities,” Lin stated, taking a sip of his tea._

_Across the table, Mai smiled into her cup. Even in the six months they had not seen each other, she still looked different. It may have just been the way she held herself; there was nothing Lin could pinpoint exactly. Her hair had not changed and her smile was just the same. “It sounds wonderful, Lin.” The brown haired girl said seriously, “But there are two problems. One, I don’t speak Italian, and two, I cannot afford the tuition.” Her eyes strayed from her cup of soup she only sparingly ate to his face._

_The Chinese man had smiled, briefly, but she had not noticed. “Tuition is fully covered,” Lin mentioned, as though it were nothing. She looked up and gasped, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. Lin gently reached across the table and put his finger below her chin, closing her mouth for her. “No matter where you go,” he continued, withdrawing his hand from her and mixing his soup. “SPR has the cost covered. Since you began working with us, money has been put away for your education.”_

_“But I thought I didn’t work for the company anymore?” Mai inquired._

_He shook his head. “Technically, you do.” Lin stated. “While the Japan location is temporarily closed, you’re still on call an we can pull you at any time. Throughout your college education you will be on call. Parro’s company, Italian Paranormal Investigative Services, will also be hiring you, per an agreement I made with him.” Mai looked at him with wide eyes, a smile on her face._

_“Thank you, Lin.” She said, smile growing broader by the minute._

_He smiled back, “Your first class to learn Italian is in thirty minutes. I’ll drive you over there now.”_

_“Hey!” Mai exclaimed loudly, jumping up from her seat. “You didn’t even wait to see if I would say yes!” she shouted, and the little restaurant grew quiet. As Lin’s laugh immediately filled the silence, Mai forgave him._

_The two paid and walked towards the door. “Will this be the last time I see you?” she asked as they were leaving the restaurant. The tall man thought about it, and then slowly nodded._

_“For a while, yes.” He admitted. Her face fell a little, but Lin pulled her into a tight hug. Mai warmed him, and if he wanted to he could easily rest his chin on the top of her head._

Naru’s voice interrupted Lin’s memorization. “Is there a ticket for each of us?” he asked, not terribly loud, though it echoed through the silent room and startled the tall assistant.

                “There are,” Lin affirmed, raising his head to look his boss in the eyes. Surprise filled Lin when he saw the immense pain in Naru. He looked too tense, with anger in his eyes. Lin knew that the rest of the room probably did not notice Naru’s reaction, but it still frightened Lin. If his normally indifferent boss’s reaction was this apparent, it did not bode well for Mai.

                The boss turned to the room. “We already have our bags packed,” Naru stated, gesturing to the piled up suitcases in the corner. “Are you all coming with?”

                A chorus of “yes” came from the assembled hunters.

                The phone on the coffee table began to ring, and in two steps Naru had reached it and picked it up. The conversation was quick, and he jotted down an address on the paper Mai always kept near the phone. “Thank you, sir. We will be there shortly.” Naru said in a neutral tone before putting the phone down.

                Naru looked over the assembled group, assessing each of them in turn. “They should already have equipment there,” he noted. “Let’s go.”

____

“What I don’t understand is how she could have survived the fire.”

                 Monk broke the silence in the rented car. SPR was currently driving through the rural back roads of Italy, having spent the past fourteen hours on the plane. Lin drove, with Naru’s slight frame seated next to him. Monk and Ayako had snatched the middle seats, leaving Masako and John to sit in the back next to their luggage.

                “Parro said that they had found the body,” Naru said, his cell phone in his hands.

                Monk groaned. “Why didn’t you say that? She may actually be dead, Naru, and this entire thing is a waste. We only have one phone call to go off of.”

                “Don’t say that,” Ayako hissed, hitting him hard. Sadness crossed her face. “Have faith in Mai.”

                The boss ignored both of them. “It may have been an imagined fire, because he said there was minimal damage to the house.” He was quiet for a moment, staring straight out the front window. “I do not understand how she could have survived, if there is indeed a body. They identified it as hers, though that is easy to fake. No matter what, we have our work cut out for us.”

                “She did say she was having dreams about fire,” Lin noted to the group.

                Monk, John, and Masako all whipped their heads around to look at him. “What?” Monk asked. “What do you mean?”

                The tall Chinese man shrugged, staring straight ahead as he drove the winding path. “Mai commented on the fact that she repeatedly had dreams concerning fire. She believed it to be more of a coincidence, and not a premonition, however.” Lin explained with exasperation in his voice.

                “Do you two often talk?” Ayako inquired from the back seat, for once not with any hint of sarcasm or hatred. The tall man meerly nodded.

                “We emailed each other daily, though the time difference meant I only heard from her once a day.” Lin huffed out a single laugh before continuing. “She never was consistent about when she would write her emails. At times, she would send the email before finishing it. It would be halfway through a sentence, with nothing afterwards.”

                It sounded as though Naru muttered “typical”, though Lin could have imagined it.           

                “Did she enjoy her job?” John asked from the back.

                Lin nodded. “Yes, tremendously. She talked often of Hunter, and the work she was doing with Parro.”

                Naru spoke up. “There is something I have forgotten to mention to you all,” and the group silently turned their heads to look at him. “You all know Mai has been working closely with Hunter Parro, a psychic her age. Hunter is an empathetic psychic, which means that she can tell what emotions you are feeling. Since this has gone on since a young age, she can be taciturn.”

                In the back, Masako nodded. “I knew this. Her father told me about it,”

                “Not everything.” Naru corrected, and he did not have to look back to see that she was offended. “Hunter is powerful; she can cause you to feel different emotions at will. There is little you can do to stop it, and she is adept at it. You will not be able to feel it happening.” He explained, and Ayako gasped.

                “So she can make us feel something we don’t really feel?!” She exclaimed loudly. “That’s creepy! I don’t want anything to do with her.”

                Naru sighed, and continued. “Mai is her best friend. Hunter will be very distraught, and while she usually is very good about not affecting other’s emotions, this may be an exception.” Naru warned. “Treat her well, but do not be afraid to leave her company if you begin to suspect she is manipulating you. As with most psychic binds, proximity creates issues.” He turned around in his seat to stare at Masako, in the back. “Ms. Hara, please be extremely careful around her.”

                As he finished saying this, Lin pulled the car into the driveway of a small villa set into the side of a hill, surrounded by tall, looming trees. There, on the front step, stood Hunter Parro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Japan to Italy, SPR has arrived!   
> Where's Yasuhara, you might ask? Well you will find out. Patience, young grasshopper.


	3. Before Turning to Dust, Try Not to Get Burned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got a chapter up because I had an unexpected day off from school! It iced here in Texas, so I'm surrounded by weird white-stuff. It makes me want to write about a snow-covered villa in Italy, with Mai and Naru cuddled up on the couch, but I will refrain from indulging myself.  
> Also, important note: If I do not specify which language the characters are speaking in, assume it is Japanese. If what is being spoken is important in terms of which language, I will explain it in detail to avoid confusion.

Dark brown wavy hair framed Hunter’s round face. Her short form seemed even smaller in her wide stance, but it did not distract from her beauty. Her thin lips were set in a straight line. If it weren’t for two deep brown eyes starring daggers into his soul, Naru would have offered her one of his rare smiles.

                The villa stood a full two stories, with steps on either side of a porch leading down to the driveway. Tall, think trees framed the sides of the house. It sat on the side of a lush hill, and they could see the hills behind it, covered in deep purple grape vines.

                The group hopped out of the van eagerly, and a man who looked similar to Hunter came out of the house. He approached the group, a sour smile on his face. “Mr. Shibuya,” he greeted in English, grasping the young man’s hand in a shake. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”

                “Mr. Parro,” Naru greeted in Japanese as warmly as possible, without returning the smile. “This is my team, SPR.” He said, gesturing to the others. “I am aware that you are previously acquainted with Masako Hara and my assistant, Lin Koujo.”

                Walter Parro smiled graciously to the two, copying Masako’s bow. “Ms. Hara, I am glad you could join us. Do you often work with SPR?” he inquired, also switching to Japanese.

                She nodded, hiding her small smile behind a sleeved kimono. “Yes, whenever they need my expertise.” Masako said in her stuck up voice. Behind her, Ayako snorted in derision.

                Monk came forward with John and introductions were made, both of their roles explained while Lin sorted through the luggage. “I have heard all about you two from Mai,” Mr. Parro explained in Japanese. “She spoke almost incessantly about the times you spent together,”

                Monk, John, and Ayako laughed. “She spoke incessantly about everything,” Monk commented, and even Masako let a giggle escape her lips.

                Only one member of the group was not listening to the idle conversation. Noll had locked eyes with Hunter, who still stood on the front porch. An overwhelming amount of grief and anger had seared through him the moment their eyes met, but it felt different than his own. It had a distinct sound of two brunettes laughing together, late at night, or quick incantations shouted out. The only way to describe the deep, harsh feelings washing over him was the acid tang of lost friendship.

                Upon looking away from her eyes, the feelings dissipated, leaving nothing but a weird feeling in the back of his throat.

                “Now,” Parro interrupted Naru’s thoughts with a grave voice. “I would like you all to meet my daughter, Hunter. She is very shook up about the entire episode, and I am sorry for any disturbance she will cause.”

                Parro led the way up the driveway of the villa to the house. “Once inside and settled, we can brief you on the details of the case.” They made their way to the steps, Hunter watching their every move. The house seemed normal at a distance, but the closer they came to it the more eerie it looked. Masako clutched her arms around her, and Naru’s eyes lingered on her tightened hand as he walked behind the medium.

                “Hunter,” Parro called out in Japanese as he reached the bottom step. “This is Oliver Davis and his Japan team. They have come to help us look for Mai.”

                A switch flipped in the still girl, and a burst of energy shot out of her as she reacted to what he said. “You’ve told them the wrong place,” Hunter spat. “Mai is at the morgue.”

                The SPR team flinched, including Naru. “What do you mean?” Ayako exclaimed, her own shock and anger taking its grip. “Mai called us and told us she was alive.”

                “She’s not,” Hunter sneered, eyes narrowed on the doctor. “You all should know Mai,” she accused, taking a few steps down to get in their faces. “She called you here so that we would not have to work on it without her. She knew we would have trouble if she was dead,”

                Naru’s cool voice interrupted her ravings. “Mai would not allow herself to die like that,” he said in his distinctive, all-knowing tone.

                Her cold eyes met his. “You did not know her well either, Mr. Davis,” Hunter snapped, his name an insult. “Mai would do anything to save the people she cares about,” She said with finality, spinning on her heel and running back up the steps. As the door slammed behind her, Parro sighed and followed without a word.

                Noll stood paralyzed while his coworkers followed the Parro’s into the house. Not even Lin bothered to look back at him. “I know,” he whispered softly, almost unintentionally.

 

The foyer of the villa had been well taken care of over the years. It was simply decorated to be warm and inviting, and the ceiling had been set high. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, besides Masako standing in the middle of the Oriental rug, screaming up at the ceiling.

                “It burns!” she screeched, frozen in panic. Her eyes had rolled back in her head and her arms were outstretched, hands hanging limp. “Everything burns!”

                Ayako had rushed forward and grabbed her shoulders, holding them firmly. “Masako,” she commanded in a low voice. “Masako, it is okay.”

                Masako’s head whipped down and her eyes focused on Ayako’s for a split second. “Who are you?” she whispered, before her knees gave out. Ayako helped her down into a sitting position as the possession ended, but Masako reacted differently than normal. “Ayako,” she whimpered, body beginning to shake. “Ayako, it hurt. Help.” Masako stammered out louder, beginning to panic.

                Moving from the wall, Hunter stepped forward and placed the palm of her hand on Masako’s forehead. Immediately, the medium began to calm, her breathing becoming steady. Ayako checked her over, and Hunter slipped back to her position near the wall, intently watching Masako.

                Walter turned to Oliver, Lin, John, and Takigawa. “The spirit that possessed her is probably Edward.” Walter said seriously. “He died in this house, in a fire. He was twelve at the time, and had mental issues when he was alive. We believe he is the one responsible for Mai’s disappearance.”

                “His mother, Elisa Marino, killed herself shortly after his untimely death. They had no other family, and she was a known witch.” A familiar voice from the hallway elaborated, and Yasuhara’s tall form stepped into the foyer.

                Takigawa launched himself onto the young man, bear hugging him into his arms. “Yasu!” he exclaimed, rocking side to side. “There’s my handsome man!”

                “I’ve missed you too, old man.” Yasu insulted kindly, and Takigawa ripped himself from his grasp. John stepped up next to give the researcher a hug, while Naru fixed his attention on Lin.

                “You did not tell me Yasu was here, with her.” Naru muttered under his breath to the tall assistant.

                Lin shrugged, not looking at his employer. “You did not once ask where he was,”

 

The entire group moved to the base so Masako could recover from her episode. She only spoke a quiet hello to Yasuhara and nothing else, so Ayako settled her down on the couch in the base to rest. One side of the base had been covered in monitors for various cameras throughout the house, with small temperature readings in the bottom right-hand corner of each screen. A desk sat underneath piles of paper and records, with a laptop balanced precariously on one of the stacks. Two sofas had been pushed against the wall opposite of the screens.

                 Once there, Hunter explained that she knew that Masako had been possessed and when the spirit released her, but no more than that. She could not tell spirits apart from one another, only when they inhabited someone else.

                “It is the same as when another empath has placed an emotion in someone,” Hunter told the group, bitter tone gone from her voice. “I can tell it does not belong to the owner of the body, it feels like it does not fit.”

                Yasu and Walter briefed them on the rest of what they knew about the Marino family. It did not add much more; they died in the early 1700’s, and the pair was excluded from the nearby townspeople out of fear. They also explained that the owners of the house, a young couple who just recently came into a large fortune, had left the home after Mai’s fire for their own safety. The staff and couple had both been interviewed, and their interviews had been recorded.

                “The usual signs of paranormal activity are present here,” Yasu explained specifically to Noll. “Items moving, knocking noises, temperature fluctuations and the feeling of being touched. We have only experienced these things, besides the fire.”

                From the desk chair in front of the monitors, Walter spoke up. “The firefighters who came found the source of the fire. In the kitchen, a circuit had shorted out. When Mai turned on the stove, it started the fire.”

                Naru nodded, letting the information turn over in his mind. “Can we see where the fire happened?” Walter agreed to show them, standing from his chair.

                “I am staying with Masako,” Ayako informed the men as they left the base room. “She needs help.” Hunter did not say anything, but did not move from the other couch to join them.

                Lin looked at the girls. “I should stay as well, in case something happens,”

                Yasuhara led the way down the hall, with Monk and John following right behind him. “The fire happened in the same place it did when Edward was killed,”

                Interrupted by a thud and a grunt, Naru spun around. Behind him, Walter Parro sprawled out on the ground, grasping at anything as something dragged him down the hallway by his ankle. “Help!” he called, as he slipped out of Naru’s reach.

 

_In the damp, Mai’s eyes fluttered open, but she saw nothing in the darkness. Her dirtied clothes plastered themselves to her sweaty skin. She lay on her back on cold, rugged stone._

_Her body ached dully, her head pounding with her heart. She could not remember anything after warm, bright flames engulfed her body. The surroundings were unfamiliar, and it smelled of old wood. Somewhere, water dripped onto eroded stone._

_“Welcome home,”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is Yasu! And Mai! And a cliffhanger. You should expect nothing less from a fanfiction. Now, to not post for another month and a half!  
> If anyone wants to beta these chapters before I post them that would be super cool because I'm mostly sure half of this does not make sense.


	4. Wikipedia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New information comes to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not ever posting and sorry this is short. Also sorry you chose to read this story.
> 
> Update at a time in early June: I will have a new chapter posted within the week. I promise.

Walter continued to slide down the hall, Naru racing after him. He could see nothing holding on to the older gentleman, but in his line of work one didn’t need to see an attacker. Without warning, Walter stopped, only three feet from the door of the base. Naru quickly knelt beside the man, as he coughed.

“Boss!” Yasu exclaimed, just behind Noll. He quickly checked over his ankle from where the poor man had been dragged down the hall. “Are you okay?”

Mr. Parro coughed violently, looking harried. “I’m getting too old for this,” he muttered, which made Naru grin slightly.

John and Takigawa had also joined the group in the hallway. “Mr. Parro,” John interrupted quietly, “It looks like you may have a broken ankle.” Indeed, his foot twisted at an awkward angle, and angry dark blotches had already appeared on his skin.

“Take him in to Ayako,” Naru ordered, watching silent while Monk and John lifted the older man, careful not to touch his foot. As they carried him in to the base room, Noll looked closely at Yasu. He had grown in the year they had been apart, most of the younger features of his face had faded and he looked mature. “You called him boss,” the twin accused. Naru had not meant to exclaim his observation so callously, but his face did not give him away.

Looking confused for a moment, Yasu smiled, but only barely. “You’ve been gone a long time, Naru,” he said in what he had intended to be a joking manner, but came out more somber. He did not wait for  a reply, choosing instead to follow the rest.

Tempted to stay outside but well aware of the danger, the young researcher followed.

 

Walter had been laid out on the second couch in the base. Masako sat silent, but awake, and watched the doctor do her work. Ayako, in the process of bandaging Walter Parro’s ankle, looked less than pleased. “The next one of you,” she growled out, “to get hurt gets a spot on the floor.”

Her frustration seemed to be echoed in the worried faces of all gathered. Less than thirty minutes after arriving two of the team already had been put out of action. In a case back in Japan, Naru would have seriously considered leaving the case and instructing the owner to burn the house. With the possibility of Mai being alive somewhere in the house, there was no chance he would resort to such measures.

A small part of his mind reminded him what happened last time he tried to abandon a case in such a way. Mai had been horrified by the potential abandonment of people who “needed” their help, and begged the group to stay. Now, ironically, Mai needed Noll’s help. The thought made his stomach hurt.

Hunter’s piercing gaze shifted to him, and he remembered that she could feel shifts in his emotions. Naru viciously fought to suppress that bizarre feeling, without first wanting to curse the fact that she could read him more easily than anyone else. “Yasu, Lin. I want to know everything there is to know about this house, and now. Ayako, Hunter, Masako, and Monk, as soon as you feel ready I want you to do everything in your power to get a sense for the spirits that are here. The more I know the faster this case ends, and we have Mai back.” he commanded, and almost surprisingly, they all turned to do as he asked.

 

Naru stared out the window of the base at the large oak tree in the backyard of the villa. The house was situated on a hill that overlooked the impressive vineyard. The vines all linked together, and the grapes looked to be ripe to his untrained eye. At one point in time, Walter had informed him thirty minutes prior, the Macini villa had produced the best wine in Europe. Macini Edel wine, made solely on the property, sold for more than Naru paid his employees for a case.

Dignitaries from all over Europe visited the pristine villa in the early 1700s, come to taste Paolo Macini’s wine, the first creator of it. His first son carried on the tradition, but after his son’s untimely death before producing any heirs the business went to his first son’s nephew, and remained in the family until the 1910’s. The Macini line died out in a homicide, and the witch and her son possessed the house. After they died, a new family bought the house and continued making Macini wine.. It was the new family, the Conti’s, who had hired Walter.

Breaking Naru’s concentration, Yasu and Lin dropped papers on the table in the base. Naru walked over to them, catching a glimpse of Yasuhara’s face. He looked exhausted, making the boss wonder how much sleep the man had since Mai’s disappearance. Lin seemed less perturbed,but Naru could not tell what he was thinking. “What’ve you got?”he asked with a rough voice.

Yasu straightened up. “You already know about the witch and her son, but we found more. There was a vineyard worker, Piere Aldanto, who hanged in the tree outside. His crime is not listed, and it is implied that it was a hate crime done by a member of the Macini family. Shortly beforehand, the niece of Paolo’s son committed suicide after her suspected secret lover was fired.”

Noll turned to the couch where Masako and Hunter sat watching. “Does any of this fit what you’ve felt around the house?”

The young medium shifted, tilting her head to the side. Her kimono still looked pristine, despite having passed out. “Nothing about a suicide. Usually I can tell, even if the spirit has moved on.” she commented.

Next to her, Hunter nodded. “Suicide’s are rough and there are residual feelings leftover from both the victim and those who were close to the person. It would be apparent if there had been a suicide here.”

“What about the other one- the hanging?” Noll asked next.

The girls again shook their heads.

Noll sighed. “Of course this isn’t going to be easy,” he muttered.

Lin cleared his throat for Naru’s attention. “In the early nineteen hundreds a little girl, Natalia, disappeared for a few weeks. No one had any idea where she had gone. A family friend came to visit, only to find the entire family slaughtered by an emaciated Natalia, the words “Taste the Wine” burnt onto the ceiling in the foyer. Natalia, when found, drank poisoned wine she already had with her and died. After this, the witch and her son came into possession of the house by undetermined means.”

The entire room looked back at Masako. “Is that what you saw?” Monk asked kindly to the young woman. She shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable.

She sighed. “I don’t exactly remember…” Masako trailed off, opening and closing her hand on her kimono. Her cheeks had turned red.

“That’s typical,” Ayako spoke up from where she stood by the wall. “Fainting causes short term memory loss. In a few hours, it will most likely come back to you. Not to mention the fact that it was induced by Hunter, by…”

Hunter laughed without humor. “It’s not easy to do, trust me.” she stood up, taking her time on answering. Everyone’s attention was on her. “The person must be in an emotionally weak place, and accept the new emotion as stemming from themself. It’s why I had to wait for the spirit in her to be defeated, before I could induce the feeling one gets right before you fall asleep.”

“It also drains her,” Walter said, with a chuckle. “She’s too stubborn to admit it, but it’s extremely difficult to make a person feel what they don’t already feel themselves.”

His comment caught Naru’s attention. If she had not been the one to inspire that feeling of grief he had felt when their eyes had met, then what could explain those feelings?

“Noll.” Lin snapped, using his nickname. It stole his train of thought, and Naru looked up at him. Naru stepped over to where Lin pointed at the video cameras. On the screen, in the kitchen, a raging fire at the stove engulfed the entire side of the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you ever wonder if Lin and Yasu start their search at google and click the wikipedia page like the rest of us commoners? I do.  
> I hope this story is coming together. I have written a lot of the upcoming chapters and I'm trying not to bleed information from it.  
> Update at a time in early June: I will have a new chapter posted within the week. I promise.


	5. Kitchen Tiles Are A Thing of the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team investigates a fire in the kitchen, accidentally releasing a force they do not yet comprehend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. Didn't happen in June. Try July instead?   
> It's been a long summer.

Mai stood up, looking around the foyer. Her legs felt numb, as if she had been standing for too long. Just as she prepared to try and take a step, Lin, Naru, John, Monk, and Ayako raced down the hall past the foyer towards the kitchen.   
Her heart leapt in her chest at the sight of her friends, hardly registering her feet take off running after them. Mai had no issue keeping up with them, which one part of her noted, but did not dwell on it. She stayed hard on Ayako’s heels as the woman turned into the kitchen on the right, her red hair practically hitting Mai in the face. In the kitchen, her friends all gathered around a raging fire that consumed the entire half of the wall. But Mai barely noticed, too overjoyed at seeing her friends from Japan. She realized she had not left the Marcini villa, and wanted to know what they were doing here.  
“We have to put out the fire, now!” Bou-san yelled, as the others searched around the kitchen for a fire extinguisher.   
A single flame licked out at John. “Be careful!” Lin shouted at him, grasping the priest’s wrist and yanking him away from the stove he had been entranced in.  
“I’m here!” Mai shouted as the sound of the fire faded, waving her arms from where she stood in the doorway. “I can’t believe you guys came to help me!” she exclaimed joyfully, ready to engulf her friends in a bear hug.   
They did not see her. Instead, they stared in awe and horror at the wall, which had seemingly returned to normal. No signs there had ever been a fire marked the kitchen wall. The stove from which the fire originated looked fine, and Lin touched it without needing to remove his hand.   
Mai felt her throat close up. They can’t see me. She began to feel her breathing deepen. When she looked around the kitchen in disbelief, she saw two figures standing with her friends. A boy, around twelve, held the hand of an older woman. They both looked over their shoulder at Mai. There clothing looked well worn but comfortable, despite its apparent age.   
The woman reached her hand out to Mai, and for reasons Mai could not determine she took the invitation without hesitating. When the woman’s cool hand met hers, she subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. 

In the base, Hunter and Masako looked at the screens in disbelief as the fire vanished. “What?!” Hunter shrieked, angered and frightened by it. “How did that happen?”  
Masako, however, did not pay attention to the empath. Instead, she scrutinized the corner of the video feed, focusing on it until her eyes looked shut. With a bizarre gasp, she recoiled from the screen and took off running down the hall.  
“What happened?” Hunter’s father asked as the young medium ran out of the room. He still stayed in the bed, recovering from having been dragged down the hallway.   
Hunter followed the medium without issue. “The fire vanished!” she yelled over her shoulder, chasing Masako down the hall. Masako ran fast for a fragile woman in a kimono, which had been Hunter’s first impression. Ms. Hara, being a medium, naturally blocked most attempts Hunter subconsciously made at trying to read her emotions, so Hunter could not fathom why she felt the need to race to the kitchen. In fact, Hunter felt a tad bit worried about leaving her father alone in the base, but they had chosen the room specifically because its lack of supernatural phenomenon.   
Upon stepping over the threshold into the kitchen, Masako shrieked. “There!” she yelled, the sleeve of her kimono falling to her shoulder as the Japanese woman pointed to the middle of the room. The image of her pale arm pointed unsettled Hunter.   
The rest of the team turned to look at her. “Masako, what is it?” Naru asked, immediately realizing that she saw something the rest of them could not. The medium did not answer, merely watched the point in the middle of the room.   
The old woman who had taken Mai’s hand had not let go of it. The overwhelming sense of relief had not left Mai, and she faintly realized how disturbing it was to be on the receiving end of Masako’s stare. However, Mai could tell her old friend had not seen her; instead Masako had locked eyes with the old woman.   
“Who are you?” Masako asked, her voice beginning to even out, though she still visibly trembled. The old woman did not respond. “How did you stop the fire?” the medium asked in a louder voice. Hunter flinched.   
The boy turned in closer to the woman, and Mai could feel his grip tighten though she did not hold his hand. “I did not stop the fire,” the woman said, her voice commanding, though spoken very quietly. Mai believed she did not have the strength to speak any louder.  
“What’s happening?” Ayako asked, taking a few steps to Masako. “Did she answer?” The red haired woman seemed just as frightened as the medium.  
A dark look passed over Masako’s face. Mai had never seen anything like it on the medium’s face before. The medium began to shake her head, “She said something, but I could not hear it.” A long pause passed through the kitchen. Both the living and the dead had their eyes on the medium. “Exorcise her.” she whispered.   
“Masako,” Mai protested as she stepped forward, accidentally letting go of the woman’s hand. No one made any sign of having heard or seen her.   
Takigawa took a breath, glanced briefly at his boss, and then began to chant. The old woman gasped, and Mai turned around in time to watch her eyes go wide and her mouth hang open. The boy began to shout something as the woman faded away.   
A pain shot through Mai. With sudden understanding, she realized what had really happened to the woman. At the same time, the boy realized it as well. The knives and pans that hung on the wall began to rattle. 

Something cold seeped through Naru’s body as the clatter of metal rattling began. Whatever had just happened, he decided, should not have. Anything loose in the kitchen began to shake, and Noll had no interest to see what would happen in person. Hopefully, the camera could capture whatever they were about to miss.  
“Everyone out,” Naru commanded, taking a few steps forward and grabbing Masako’s wrist. He had seen the strange look that had overcome her, and knew from experience that something was not right. She did not resist as he began to pull her out of the kitchen. Takigawa’s chant ceased, and the entire crew ran out of the room as if the fire had never been stopped.   
Masako began to go weak the moment they left the kitchen, and Hunter quickly grabbed her other arm and helped Naru half carry her back to the base. Walter, thankfully, had not been harmed while they had left him alone, Naru noted to himself. That mistake would not be made again.   
“That was not Masako,” Hunter said through tight teeth. “I cannot tell who, though, or what. All I know is that it was awful,”   
Takigawa stomped back and forth angrily. “That was wrong,” he said, hands threaded through his hair. “I knew it was the moment you spoke, boss, but I listened to her without thinking. I don’t know why.”   
The red haired shrine maiden crossed the room from where she had been checking Walter to lay a calming hand on Takigawa’s shoulder. “Something else was at work there,” she said in a soft voice. Noll had never seen her be so comforting.   
Suddenly, Masako tore her arm from Naru’s grasp. The man stepped back, eyes wide. She gave him an odd look, as if he should never have dared touch her. The look passed, soon replaced with a melancholy pout. “The old woman is gone.” she said, sorrow seeping into her voice.   
John spoke up from the doorway. “What did she say? About the fire?”  
The question peaked Naru’s interest. He had not thought to ask the question again. He watched as Masako sat back to think, her thoughts very clearly in a whirlwind. “She said…” Masako trailed, her head raising to meet Naru’s eyes. Her cool grey eyes met his indigo ones as understanding dawned on her. “She didn’t stop the fire. Maybe that isn’t what she said,” Masako said, standing up with excitement, “But the old woman didn’t stop it.” Her eye contact with Naru ceased as she looked expectantly at John. “I don’t know why that is important, but it is!”

Mai watched the boy shake with rage, the kitchen shaking with him. “Wait!” she shouted at him, walking towards him without fear. Their eyes met, and his were oddly hollow. “Don’t be mad. It’s okay. She’s in a better place!” Mai insisted, her voice getting louder still.  
“I know,” he muttered, watching as the team of paranormal investigators left the kitchen. Something stayed behind in the doorway, blocking Mai’s view of her retreating friends. The boy’s eyes went wide, turning to meet Mai’s. “You need to go back. Now!”   
With his fervent whisper, Mai feel herself drain back into the old wood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We didn't start the fire.. it was always burning since the world's been turning
> 
> Hopefully new material by end of August. It's going to be a crazy next month for me, which either means I will find solace in my writing... or avoid it completely. Hope for the first one, dear readers!


End file.
